Control valve for fire hose lines



July 29, 1958 E. J. HOUSEKEEPER ETAL 2,845,247

CONTROL VALVE FOR FIRE HOSE LINES Original Filed Nov. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q $23 i i g N r INVENTORS R 7W Earl JHause/teepef n In K Rutherford HHurzi'eP 0 N :0 BY j CarlJBrZun A URNEYS July 29, 1958 E. J. IHOUSEKEEPER ETAL CONTROL VALVE FOR FIRE HOSE L/INES Original Filed NOV. 15, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig-4 m F g- 5 mvE/vro/vs E'arlJHousekeeper Rutherford/ finder ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 coNrnoL VALVE non FIRE HOSE nsns Earl J. Housekeeper, Rutherford H. Hunter, and. Carl J. Braun, Wooster, Uhio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Fyr-Fyter Company, Dayton, Ohio, :1 corporation of Ohio Original application November 13, 1951, Serial No. 256,095, now Patent No. 2,665,879, dated January 12, 1954. Divided and this application July 23, 1953, Serial No. 377,564

3 Claims. 01. 251-171 The invention relates generally to valves for regulating the flow of water in fire hose lines, and more particularly to a control valve adapted for controlling the flow in hose lines under widely varying by-pressures or vacuums, and this application is a division of our'copending application Serial No. 256,095, filed November 13, 1951, and allowed June 26, 1953.

Main control valves for regulating the flow through the pumping apparatus to the hose lines for fighting fires are usually of the quick-acting ball shut-otf type and required to handle normal pressures of the order of 300- 350 pounds per square inch, but under certain conditions as for example when using mist-producing nozzles for fighting oil fires and the like, centrifugal pumps having several stages of progressively higher pressures frequently are employed. Under such conditions ordinary ball shut-01f control valves employing conventional rubber sealing gaskets at the valve seat will not stand up, because under the extremely high pressures the gaskets will blow out or leak.

Moreover, when circumstances require sucking water out of sumps, cellars and the like, such control valves are often required to be used under considerable amounts of vacuum, and since the direction of the pressure acting on the gaskets is reversed, the gaskets tend to blow out or leak.

Prior control valves have included slow-acting gate valves and certain other types having metal-to-metal seats. Not only do such valves tend to, leak under high pressures, but the higher the pressure the harder the valve is to operate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved ball shut-off control valve for fire hose lines which utilizes a resilient sealing gasket for maintaining a tight seal under extremely high pressures and vacuums.

Another object is to provide a novel ball shut-oh" control valve using a resilient sealing gasket in such manner that the gasket will not blow out under high pressures and vacuums.

A further object is to provide a novel control valve having increased sealing surfaces between the. valve and resilient sealing gasket to compensate for irregularities and foreign matter on the sealing surfaces.

Another object is to provide a novel control valve construction utilizing a ball shut-off cooperating with a resilient seating element in such manner as to obtain the advantages of an O ring without tending to blow out under high pressures.

A further object is to provide a novel control, valve having a resilient seating ring construction which is simple and inexpensive to construct and easily removable and replaceable.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, improvements, constructions and combinations comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings as exemplifying the best known mode ofcarr ying out the inven-.,

tion, said invention being described in detail in the accompanying specification and defined in the appended claims.

In general terms, the invention may be set forth as including in a rotatable ball shut-01f valve rotatable through from fully closed to fully open position, a ball shut-off having a through port for registering with entrance and exit ports on opposite sides thereof, and an annular resilient element of closed U-shape in cross section having its rounded edge slidably contacting one side of the ball, the rectangular portion of said element being clamped in the housing to allow limited flexing of the rounded edge portion.

Referring to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the novel control valve, showing the ball shut-off in fully open position;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2--2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan elevation of the valve shown in Fig. 1, part of the handle being broken away, and the fully closed position of the handle being shown in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 1, with the ball shut-01f in fully closed position, and parts of the valve housing and handle in elevation; and

Fig. 6 is an expanded sectional view of the novel sealing ring and elements for clamping the same in the housing.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The control valve shown in the drawings and described herein is provided with a swiveling female inlet at one end and a threaded male outlet at the other end, but it will be understood that the types of inlet and outlet connections may be changed to suit various conditions without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the valve may have a flanged inlet and a threaded male outlet, or a rigid female inlet and a rigid female outlet. Other combinations of inlet and outlet connections will be apparent, and all such combinations are intended to be included in the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings the valve housing indicated generally at 10 has a female swivel 11 having spanner wrench lugs 11' and mounted on the inlet neck 12, and the outlet neck 13 is provided with male threads 14 for screwing into the female end of a conventional hose coupling. The swivel 11 has internal threads 15 adapted to screw onto the male end of a conventional hose coupling. The swivel may be journaled on the neck 12 by means of a plurality of rollers 16 rolling in a raceway 17 in the housing neck, and a rubber gasket 18 is provided in the swivel for making a water-tight connection with the male end of the hose coupling.

The ball shut-01f 19 is positioned between the necks 12 and 13, and has a spherical outer surface 20 and a cylindrical through passageway 21 which registers with the inlet passageway 22 and the outlet passageway 23 when the ball shut-off is in fully open position. The ball shutoff may be rotatably mounted at one side on a screw stud 24 which projects inwardly through the bottom of hous-. ing 10, there being a sealing gasket 25 provided between the head of the screw stud and the housing. The opposite side of the ball shut-off is provided with a hole 26;

key portion 28 of the valve stem 29, so that rotation of the valve stem will rotate the ball shut-off.

The parts thus far described per se form no part of the present invention, excepting as they may enter into the combinations set forth in the claims. As best shown in-Figs. 1 and 6, the novelresilient sealing ring has a solid or closed U-shape in cross section with one edge rounded and the other edge rectangular. The ring is made of a material which is resilient and also has high resistance to wear and abrasion, and may be a synthetic rubber composition or the like. The rounded edge portion 31 is resiliently and slidably held in engagement with the spherical surface 20 of the ball, and the ring is of such diameter as to surround cylindrical opening 21 in the ball in open position. As shown, the rectangular edge portion 32 of the ring is seated on an annular shoulder 33 formed in the neck 13 and having an annular flange portion 34 for abutting the inner annular surface 35 of the sealing ring. The edge of the flange 34 is preferably beveled as shown at 34 to clear the spherical surface 20 of the ball.

The outlet neck 13 is preferably provided with external screw threads 36 on its inner end for screwing into an internally threaded portion 37 on the housing, so as to make the neck 13 easily detachable. An O-ring 38 is provided between the housing and the inner end of the neck to make a water tight seal. The inner end of the neck 13 is also provided with internal screw threads 39 radially outward of the annular shoulder 33, and a clamping ring 40 is provided with external threads 41 for screwing into the threads 39. The edge of the clamping ring 40 may be provided with one or more wrench slots 42 for aiding in screwing the ring tightly into the neck 13. The inner annular surface 43 of the clamping ring is adapted to abut tightly against the outer annular surface 44 of the sealing ring 30 when the clamping ring is screwed tightly into the threads 39 of the neck 13. The inner annular surface 43 of the clamping ring terminates in an inwardly curved portion 45 which is adapted to fit around and clamp over a portion of the rounded surface 31 of the sealing ring, as shown in Fig. 1.

Thus, when the clamping ring 48 is screwed tightly into the threads 39 of the neck 13 the rectangular edge portion and a portion of the rounded edge portion of the resilient sealing ring 30 is tightly clamped in such manner that it cannot blow out under pressure or vacuum but the unclamped rounded portion of the ring 30 is able to flex while slidably engaging the spherical surface 20 of the ball shut-off so as to provide an annular sealing surface therewith of substantial width. Accordingly, the amount of sealing surface presented by the ring compensates for irregularities in the spherical surface of the ball and also provides a tight seal even though particles of foreign matter may get in between the sealing surfaces.

Moreover, by providing a resilient sealing ring having a rectangular edge portion which may be tightly clamped and a rounded edge portion which is permitted to flex a limited amount while in contact with the spherical surface of the ball, the advantages of an O-ring are obtained without any likelihood of the ring blowing out under high pressures. The novel sealing ring construction shown and described herein has been tested in actual practice with the sealing ring drawn against the ball by hand only, and has withstood pressures up to 900 pounds per square inch and a vacuum of 27 inches of mercury without dislodging the sealing ring and without any leakage.

As indicated at 47 and 48 bosses may be provided in the housing for connecting pressure take-off lines to gauges and hose line drains or vents. Similar bosses may be provided in the outlet neck by extending the neck behind the threads 14.

Referring to the valve stem and operating handle construction, the valve housing 10 is provided between the inlet and outlet necks with an angularly disposed tubular sleeve 50 in which the valve stem 29 is journaled, and

an O-ring 51 preferably is provided between the sleeve and stem for making a water tight 'seal. The outer end '4 of the stem has a square wrench receiving portion 52 and a threaded bushing 53 is screwed into the outer end of the sleeve 50 and abuts a shoulder 54 on the valve stem for forcing the valve stem inwardly and holding the keyway portion 28 thereon in operative connection with the ball 19. A set screw 55 may be provided in the housing sleeve 50 for holding the bushing 53 against rotation.

The handle indicated generally at 56 preferably includes a wrench portion 57 having a square opening 53 fitting over the square portion 52 of the valve stem. A pin 59 may be inserted through the wrench portion 57 and square portion 52 for securing the handle on the valve stem. The wrench portion 57 preferably has a tubu lar portion 60 connected thereto and a cylindrical handle portion 61 is journaled therein for axial rotation.

A flange portion 62 depends from the sleeve portion 60 and the angular end 63 of a split ring collar 64 is secured therein by a screw 63. The ring 64 fits around the housing sleeve 50 and the other angular end 65 of the split ring is normally spaced from the end 63 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and the end 65 is arranged to be forced against the end 63 by one end 66 of a lever 67. When the ends 63 and 65 of the split ring 64 are spaced apart as shown, the ring 64 will slip or rotate on the housing sleeve 50, and when the end 65 of the ring is forced against the end 63, the ring is tightly clamped on the housing sleeve 50 so as to lock the handle 56 against turning.

The means for operatnig the lever 67 preferably consists of a groove 68 in the handle portion 61 forming an eccentric cam portion 69 rotatably engaging the upper end 70 of the lever. Thus rotation of the handle portion 61 through 90 will actuate the lever to open and close the ends of the split ring. The lever 67 is pivoted at 71 onv a block 72 which is adjustably mounted in the flange portion 62 by a screw 73. Preferably the handle portion 61 is provided with a second groove 74 which is engaged by the end of a set screw 75, and pins 76 are positioned 90 apart in the groove to limit the axial rotation of the handle portion. As shown, the outer end of the end portion 61 may be provided with a hand grip 77.

A guide ring 78 fits around the base of the housing sleeve portion 50 and preferably is secured to the housing by screws 79. Stop pins 80 may be mounted on the ring 78 for engaging the flange portion 62 of the handle and limiting the rotation of the handle to In the operation of the novel control valve, the operator can, by turning the handle 61 through 90, lock the handle to the housing sleeve 50 and thus lock the ball valve at any desired position between fully closed and fully open position. The valve thus has the advantage of quick and easy operation by the rotating handle plus the ability to quickly lock the handle in any position and leave it in that position as long as desired. Thus when hose lines connected to the valve are laid out and ready to be filled with water, the operator can open the valve very slightly and lock it in that position while he helps with the hose or performs other duties. The valve can be opened a little at a time and locked in each intermediate position until the hose is filled and under full pressure without the hazard of injury to the men laying out the hose lines or damage to property, as is present when the control valve is opened wide suddenly. Also, different pressures can be supplied to the hose lines without changing the pump speed, merely by locking the valve at different positions.

The novel control valve of the present invention has the advantages of quick and easy operation and watertight sealing under high pressures and vacuums without any danger of the sealing gaskets blowing out, and is simple and inexpensive in construction while providing for easy inspection and repair or replacement of parts.

'In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of eX- ample, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention, the construction,

the operation and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a control valve having a housing and a tubular ball shut-off rotatably mounted between inlet and outlet ports in said housing, a resilient sealing ring removably mounted around one of said ports for slidably seating on the ball surface, said ring having a rounded inner edge engaging the ball and a body portion extending axially with respect to said ports, one of said housing ports being embodied in a sleeve member removably mounted in said housing and having an annular portion fitting the inner annular surface of said sealing ring with the inner end of said annular portion spaced from the ball, and a clamping ring screwed into said sleeve memher and abutting the outer annular surface of said sealing ring to clamp it against said housing annular portion, said clamping ring having an inner annular surface terminating in a curved shoulder spaced from the ball for fitting over a portion of the rounded edge of said sealing ring.

2. In a control valve having a housing and a tubular ball shut-off rotatably mounted between inlet and outlet ports in said housing, a resilient sealing ring removably mounted around one of said ports for slidably seating on the ball surface, said ring having a closed U-shape in cross section with its rounded inner edge engaging the ball, one of said housing ports being embodied in a sleeve member removably mounted in said housing and having an annular shoulder abutting the outer rectangular edge portion only of said sealing ring, said sleeve memher including an annular flange fitting against the inner annular surface of said ring and spaced from the ball, and a clamping ring spaced from the ball and screwed into the inner end of said sleeve member and abutting the outer annular surface of said sealing ring to clamp it against said flange, said clamping ring having a curved inner portion for fitting over a portion of the rounded edge of said sealing ring, said curved inner portion acting as a camming means in compressing the sealing ring.

3. In a control valve having a housing and a tubular ball shut-off rotatably mounted between inlet and outlet ports in said housing, a resilient sealing ring removably mounted around one of said ports for slidably seating on the ball surface, said ring having a closed U-shape in cross section with its rounded inner edge engaging the ball, one of said housing ports being embodied in a sleeve member removably mounted in said housing and having an annular shoulder abutting the outer rectangular edge portion only of said sealing ring, said sleeve member including an annular flange fitting against the inner annular surface of said ring and spaced from the ball, and a clamping ring screwed into the inner end of said sleeve member and abutting the outer annular surface of said sealing ring to clamp it against said flange, said clamping ring having an inner annular surface terminating in a curved shoulder spaced from the ball for fitting over a portion of the rounded edge of said sealing ring, said curved shoulder being movable with said clamping ring axially of said ports into clamping engagement with said sealing ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 14,423 Scoville Jan. 22, 1918 1,973,418 Sibley Sept. 11, 1934 2,481,460 Williams Sept. 6, 1949 2,621,011 Smith Dec. 9, 1952 2,628,809 Mikeska Feb. 17, 1953 2,661,926 Resek Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,945 Australia Jan. 16, 1951 

